Vertical Mixers

amixon® vertical mixers have vertically mounted agitator shafts. They can also be described as slowly rotating shear mixers. Their mode of action is based on the upward motion of goods in the periphery of the mixing chamber and the downward flow of goods in the centre.

In this respect, all the particles in the mixing chamber are in relative motion to the environment. Permanent changes of the particles, that are taking place inside the vertical mixer, result in the highest mixing qualities. Those mixing results are not further improvable in practice.
The peripheral speed of the SinConvex® mixing tool inside the vertical mixer is usually only 1 m/s to 2.5 m/s.

As the flow of the solids takes place very slowly, there is no separation, neither by gravity, by centrifugal effects, nor during discharge.
Mixing times in a vertical mixer are only 2 - 6 minutes despite differing properties of the components.

Those could be for example particle size, particle shape, bulk density, moisture levels, flow properties, liquid, solid or gaseous state, etc. The filling ratios can vary from about 10% to about 70% of the gross volume.

agglomeration

dispersing

mixing

drying

coating

agglomeration

Agglomeration, granulation and grain enlargement
Adhesion and agglomeration of particles to roundish fragments, scabs, prills or pellets.
Inter-particular bridging can occur through melt adhesion, reaction, crystallisation, dipoles or hardening.
Compared to finely dispersed materials, grain-enlarged materials flow better, are better suspendable, soluble, sinkable and pressable.Moreover, agglomerated materials are less at risk of segregation.
Grain agglomerations with high density are often called granulates, pellets, prills or scabs.
“Agglomerates” usually means grain agglomerations with large porosity, low density and good solubility.
amixon® can realise gentle agglomeration up to build-up granulation with high energy input.

dispersing

Mixing / Deagglomerating is also random and results from the flowing and swirling of the mixture at high velocity. This operation is combined with high energy input.
Primary particles, which have a tendency towards agglomeration or aggregation in smaller grain sizes, can be de-agglomerated by rubbing and crushing. In practice, the deagglomeration takes place by shearing, impact loading and friction (cutting rotors, HighShearBlades, dissolver, milling machines).amixon® has patented smizers and rotor-stators.
The achievable mixing quality increases with increasing disintegration of the individual components.
The mixing quality describes the equal distribution/ homogeneity of the components.
amixon® guarantees technically ideal mixing quality, which cannot be improved in practice!

mixing

Spreading of one or several components within another component, with all components differing in at least one property (colour, chemical composition, particle shape, particle size, ...)
Distributive mixing means the distribution or adsorption of one in/ beside another component.
Dispersive mixing is random and results from the flowing and swirling of the mix.

drying

Separation of adhesive liquids during mixing.
Depending on the type of energy input, a distinction is made between infrared drying, contact drying, convection drying and friction drying.
Vacuum excitation lowers the boiling point, which promotes vaporisation or sublimation.
Chemical reactions in the reactor can be promoted through pressure, temperature and mechanical energy input.
amixon® can realise ideal reaction control and drying.

coating

Coating is a special method of grain enlargement.
Primary particles or granulates are encapsulated by a different material like a film.
The coating can be a micro-fine powder, a liquid or a solidified melt.
Coating can be used for protecting, rounding off, inerting or hydrophobising of sensitive bulk materials.
amixon® can realise gentle coating up to mechanical alloying.